Help! I dropped my test kit in my aquarium!

windcoast reefs · #1 08-25-2011, 05:28 AM

So I was doing my daily testing when I accidently bumped one of my test tubes full of chemicals into my tank! I stopped the pumps from my sump and turned off all the equipment and am draining the sump completely. Is there anything else I can do or is my tank toast?

lorenz0 · #2 08-25-2011, 05:32 AM

are you talking about a test tube with a few drops in it?

windcoast reefs · #3 08-25-2011, 05:34 AM

Yeah pretty much. I am unsure which one it was, but I believe it was the calcium.

lorenz0 · #4 08-25-2011, 05:40 AM

I wouldn't worry about it. the ratio to water volume shouldn't even effect it. by now its so diluted that it shouldn't even cause a problem. if you want to be safe you could just do a water change tomorrow

windcoast reefs · #5 08-25-2011, 05:42 AM

Okay, Thanks! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't gonna kill my tank!

Aquattro · #6 08-25-2011, 01:35 PM

Going forward, I'd maybe keep the test kits away from the tank

Kitchen counter might be a better place to shake and swirl..

Gripenfelter · #7 08-25-2011, 02:13 PM

The nitrate testing stuff is very corrosive and toxic btw. A friend of mine lost 2 out of 15 fish when he dropped his tube in the sump by accident.

Lampshade · #8 08-25-2011, 02:51 PM

That Nitrate stuff is very corrosive. I kept getting little burnt holes in my jeans and had no idea why, took a few times before i realized that it was after doing a test while sitting on the couch. While shaking, the tiny spatter that leaked out of the crappy lids while on my test kit was enough to do it.

windcoast reefs · #9 08-26-2011, 06:29 AM

Yeah think I will test in away from the tank next time. I only lost around a 1/4 of the tube contents and everything seems to be doing great. So it looks like I caught it before it did to much damage.

Myka · #10 08-26-2011, 03:28 PM

Are you draining the sump because the test tube went in the sump? You said the tank though, so why would draining to sump help?

Most kits contain acids (which is what is eating your guys' shorts lol), and the worst thing that most of them would do is drop pH and alkalinity. Doesn't take much Hydrochloric acid to do that.

Everything is relative. In this case, relative to the size of the tank. How big is the tank?